to forgive
by Friendlyfangirl
Summary: After Tony's death Action has a conversation with Maria.Slight Maria Action.First fic so I'm a tad nervous !Read and review please. K just to be safe I guess.


First fan Fic

First fan Fic!I think...I've written out a few now and I just have to decide which one to update first...You know what?Nevermind. Anyway this is a oneshot about Maria and Action, and it's completely up to you, as the reader, if it's a romance or friendship story.

Now...On with the show!Er, Fan Fic...

(Typically, Action was feeling angry. Angry at his stupid old man for going out and

getting drunk the night after his sweet big sister's birthday. Claira, Action's sister,

had not been too angry(typically).She was the exact opposite of Action in her emotions.

Not only was she a nice, kind girl but she had an odd way of keeping calm...at least when

it came to family disputes.

Action sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was walking along the side walk, one hand in his pocket. It was a fairly warm but rainy day, three weeks after the death of Tony, Bernardo

and Riff.

Oddly enough-or perhaps not oddly at all-these deaths, combined with the speech that Spanish girl Maria, had given, finally had brought an end to the blood battle between

the Sharks and the Jets.)

Maria sat at her sewing machine, singing quietly to herself. She was very careful even

in her thoughts. Maria C. had made it her life goal to never dwell on thoughts involving

her older half brother Bernardo and Tony, both of whom were dead. Maria knew that eventually there would come a time where she'd be able to think of the two for more than

a few seconds, but that time was nowhere in the near future. Especially, with Tony.

"Who knows?" she sang quietly under her breath. Maria was sewing at home, in the kitchen completely alone. Her Mama, Papa and sisters were at the movies, and her one other brother was over at a friends house. She was just sitting there sewing up a hole

in her sister's blankey when someone knocked on the door.

"Come in-" Maria started to say but the person didn't wait for her. They opened the door at once, but slowly.

It was one of Tony's friends from that gang called the Jets. Action, that was his name.

His hair was dark as were his eyes. He was not extremely tall and also slightly pudgy,

a misleading figure, for Maria knew him to be an extremely excellent athlete and fighter.

Though Maria did not pretend to know him well, she knew of his temper...and also of

his sloppy home life. Action was one of the jet members who she'd actually spoken to

least out of the majority(Baby John and Ice being the most)since the uniting of Sharks and Jets. Yet he had been the one who had first come over to pick Tony up that night,

possibly leading to the other Jets spontaneous decision to do so also. Maria had actually met to thank him for that.

"Oh.Hello...Action." she smiled at him. "Um, how are you?Haven't seen you all

week-"Maria paused and took a breath. She could feel herself beginning to babble.

"Hello miss Maria."Said Action his tone polite...but wary. Maria nodded still smiling.

"Come in, won't you? Oh! Are you looking for Pepe and Indio? I'm afraid you just missed them." Both the Jets and the Sharks had been attempting to form a slight friendship by having weekly get togethers. So far these interactions had been quite

awkward but they seemed to be getting better.

"No." Action shook his head. "I wasn't really looking for them...Actually if anyone I

was kind of hoping I might run into you." Maria looked at him for a moment before

nodding. "Well come in as I said." Action hesitated before taking a few steps in.

"Thank you Maria."

There was a pause. "So how have you been?" asked Maria politely as she poured the

both of them some lemonade. "Fine...Thank you...for asking?" His polite tone(and words)was(were) hesitant. It even surprised Maria a little to hear such courtesy from him.

She quickly hid it however knowing that would not be the most polite thing. "Oh your

welcome. Come, sit down."

He did. Slowly and awkwardly he sat in the chair across from her.

They sat in silence for several minutes apart from Maria occasionally asking Action

how his sister was doing and commenting on the whether.

After a short while Action said "How did you do it?" Maria looked up at him in

surprise.What did he mean? "Do what?" she asked politely.

Action stood slowly but his answer came fairly quickly. "Forgive him.Forgive Chino,

and Tony too." He Shook his head. "I've been trying to figure it out but I can't. How did you forgive all of us even after you rightly told us we was all responsible-for Tony's death and Bernardo's and...Riff's(although you didn't really know him so that must not have hurt too bad).? Really, how...Why?"

Maria was silent at first before she said,"Because I know better. Because even if I

had killed Chino(or any of you)it would not have mattered. It wouldn't have made any

of it alright." She looked so wise and noble that it was unnerving to Action.Maria looked

away out the window. Then she said "It would've sure seemed great at first...to kill the one who killed my Tony, but that feeling wouldn't have lasted. It wouldn't have been so

great by the end of the day. It would only have wrecked me in the end. If I didn't just forgive him and try to move on...I would've turned out worse for me."

Action thought about that a moment. It sort of made sense...

"And" Maria continued "as for me not really knowing Riff...no it wasn't nearly as

painful for me as the deaths of Bernardo and definitely not as much as Tony-But it still

hurt...a lot. He was still so innocent...not in the way I am or like a child would be, but in

the sense he didn't know...he was naive to so many beautiful things of this world, just like my brother. The thing is from what I've heard about Riff, he doesn't sound that

different from Bernardo. Perhaps that was why they drove each other so crazy, being so

similar and all..."

"You make sound almost easy." Action shook his head scowling. He stood shakily and

took a few steps away before letting out a small sigh.

After a few seconds he said "What you say makes some since...but I can't see...how I'm

ever going to be like that." Forgive my father? He thought "I don't completely understand how even you could. Especially forgiving HIM. He murdered your love, one of the-if not the one-most important person or people to you...And then you just forgave US for wrecking your happiness?"He shook his head. "But really you forgave Chino so

easily I can only wonder whether I'll ever be like that one day."

"It wasn't easy though..."said Maria softly. Action looked at her. She was now gazing

out the window. Slowly she turned back to him."I told you. I truly wanted to kill him.

But how would it possibly have made me feel better...It wouldn't have...Not at all.

Like I said, it would have been so great at first...but that would not have lasted.

It would not have brought Tony back nor made it all right."

She stood and went over to the window."It wasn't easy Action...How could it have

been? I loved Tony so much. I only knew him four days but those were the best days of

my life...so far, and very possibly ever. I'll never forget him and the way he made me feel." She smiled slightly and looked at him. "I take comfort in knowing he's in a better

place now. Hopefully someday, when my time comes, I'll get there too."

Action stared at her in wonder. She was like some sort of prophet or saint,...with her

kind forgiving ways, knowing words and angelic smile. The words 'almost Beautiful' sprang into his mind. He said slowly "So you think...someday I could...learn to be like

that?" It seemed an impossible thought.

Maria looked at him a gentle smile on her young, lovely face. "If that's the person you

want to be then yes. I think you really could...Action-boy." Her smile widened.

"That's not quite what I meant though" Said Action softly. He didn't look her in the eye as he spoke. "I just wish...that's who I could be...naturally. Like you are who you. Maria, you don't have to make yourself be the way you are, your just you."

"What's wrong with you being just you?" asked Maria. Action blinked and looked at

her. "...I guess...I mean what's wrong with you trying to be that way...while still being you? I think it's a good thing."

Action sighed"I guess...nothing...I just wish I could be who you are...I wish I could seemingly do it effortlessly. I wish that kind of thing came natural. Your better than me

Maria, what you said after Tony was killed made me realize it. I was beneath you in a way-you a Puerto Rico girl-was better then me. Smarter...kinder."

He sighed again. Truth is...you told us all exactly what we needed to hear. They all admire you ya know. Ice, Baby John, Snowboy...your thought of almost like a heroine

to us. You really saved us."

"It's what Tony would have done" said Maria then added softly" Probably." She

sighed. "Action...no matter who, you are what you do, always remember that you're

just fine-flawed maybe but fine. You were put on this earth for a reason, a reason you

may never fully understand. Remember you'll always be loved and to try to love all others in return. Even people like your father who do not always show the love that deep

down they must feel, be proud of what you've done right and look back on your mistakes,

and see what you've learned from them. Live and learn. And never forget no matter how

alone you may feel...there is always hope for a better tomorrow."

Action found to his great surprise tears beginning to form in his eyes. He shook them off

before she would notice and said slowly "I...Thank you." His voice was barely above a whisper. Maria smiled gently.

Walking over to him, Maria drew him into a loving hug. Action, though shocked, soon

returned the hug. They stayed there like that for about a minute before Maria pecked his

cheek. She pulled back and smiled at him. He smiled too. "Your welcome." Lord her voice was so soft. Action felt oddly peaceful as he stared deep into the girl's lovely dark

eyes. Then he pulled her back into a second hug.

FIN!

Hope you all liked it! And the ending bit where they hug a second time is optional as to if you think he pulled her back to also kiss her. Please read and review!


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